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Arctic
The Arctic map has 48 territories with 8 bonus regions. This makes it a good size for 3,4,6, and 8 player games (no neutrals, good territory split) and gives a decent 2 player game (16 territories, small bonuses centralized). All team games are recommended, as well as either flat rate or escalating multiplayer games. There's a polar bear in the corner of the map, capture it to win the game! (That's a joke, this map doesn't stoop to objective-based gameplay). 1v1 When starting with 16 territories, you should have enough armies to take two from your opponent, although odds are only 56% if you attempt to do it all from one place. It's important to distribute when possible, but take care not to let your opponent hold a small bonus, which can quickly turn the tide of the game. Access to the Ice Cap is always nice, since it allows you to move quickly to almost any bonus region. The map is large enough that a flat rate game won't be decided by the first mixed set, and an escalating game could be a good match. No cards games are usually decided in the first few rounds. I recommend chained or adjacent fortifications, since the map is well connected; unlimited will simply overwhelm the second player. Fog or not is up to preference, but with the centralized Ice Cap, you're unlikely to hide a bonus. Team games Aside from applying the usual 2-player advice to 2-team games, you can also take advantage of having a partner to block your bonuses for you. Scandinavia is a good example of this, where you can defend the northern entrance from Barent's Ice, so your teammate can hold that while you collect the bonus. Western Europe and the Northern Islands also allow for this type of defense. The bonuses across the top of the map (Eastern Asia, Western Asia, European Russia and the Ice Cap) are difficult to hold in this manner, so are not recommended early on in the game. Escalating A good player will attempt to spread out across the map, taking key territories in various regions to increase their reach. There are two dead ends which allow for easy blocks, but not many more bottlenecks aside from them. Arctic Alaska and Nunavut control access to North America, but a better position would be to hold BC which allows for free access to either side. Eastern Asia can become cut off very easily, so it's important to gain ground there early. The Ice Cap seems very central to the game, but really only Barent's Ice is important to hold. Other nice territories to hold: Tartarstan, Finland, Belarus, Tomsk/Evenkia, North Greenland/Iceland and Baffin Island. Even in an 8 player game, you'll start with 6 territories, so you have some room to move. I would recommend 6 players, and I hear good things about 7 (even with all the neutrals). Expect them to last 10-16 rounds. Fog of War just makes it silly. Terminator is a nice touch. Flat rate Is there anything special to this map concerning Flat Rate games? Well, not much. Don't try to take the Ice Cap, it's everyone's favourite target. North America is a viable region to hold, and has as many entry points as Western Europe and Eastern Asia with a bigger bonus.